For first time researchers at Caltech, even if you have research experience from high school, the process for finding a lab to work in may seem daunting. But, this is Caltech where there are many labs and a small student body.
A SURF is an excellent way to be
exposed to research, starting with the grant-seeking process to get funding
and finishing with the presentation of your findings to your peers.
While the focus of this information is on obtaining a SURF, there are other
ways to do research on campus. Professors are very willing to give you course
credit during the year for working in their labs, and some will even pay you.
Start your search early; during second term, before winter break, is a good
time to gather information about labs on campus. If you wait too long, professors
may not have room for you in their labs, even if you are highly qualified.
Some people work for professors whose classes they have taken or for professors
who lecture in seminar classes like Bi 2, but that is not the only way to find
a lab. Search the biology
faculty website, read professors’ published papers, talk to upperclassmen
biology majors in your house and around campus to get a feel for what labs appeal
to you.
Also, the SURF website has a section for Announcements of Opportunity but many
professors who would love to have you in their lab do not post to the site.
E-mail those professors whose labs appeal to you, letting them know that you
are interested in doing a SURF in their lab and would like more information.
E-mail a bunch of professors; if multiple professors respond back to you then
you will have more options. A lot of them just do not respond to e-mails. And
those you decide not to work with will not be offended. If there is a particular
professor who does not respond to you but you would really like to work with
him/her, then go to his/her office and schedule and appointment.
In your initial e-mail to the professors you may want to send them a CV to demonstrate
that you are qualified for working with them. If you have researched in the
past, highlight your experience and skills. However, you do not need to have
prior research experience; many professors are willing to accept people who
have never researched before! They basically want to know your interest level,
lab experience (Bi 10 and Ch 3 are helpful but even high school lab work is
generally an acceptable starting place), relevant coursework, and activities
you have participated in/traits that you have that make you a good candidate
for working in the lab.
Once a professor responds to your e-mail, schedule a meeting with him/her, giving at least three times when you are available to meet with him/her. Also, ask if there is any background reading you need to do.
Ask questions! Try to find out what people in his/her lab do—specific projects they are working on. You will most likely be working with a postdoc or graduate student so make sure the postdocs and graduate students are doing work that interests you. Ask what kinds of expectations the professor has of students working in his/her lab and gauge what the working environment is like. Find out about the project that you could work on over summer, either from the professor or from a graduate student/postdoc the professor directs you to.
When you have identified the lab that you want to be in, e-mail the professor who runs that lab. Verify who you will be working with, and contact him/her right away. Schedule a meeting to gather information for your proposal. Starting early on the proposal will allow you and your mentor/co-mentor to proof it a couple of times. Also, contact the other professors you met with to thank them for their time and inform them (politely of course—you may take a class with them and/or want to work in their lab at a later time) that you are not interested in doing a SURF in their lab this summer after all.
First, be sure to read any background papers necessary for the comprehension of your experiment. Take some time to look over the SURF proposal guidelines before starting. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. The Hixon Writing Center is a wonderful resource. The people there are always more than happy to lend their assistance. They can work on getting the paper started or review it. Finally, be sure to write your proposal well in advance. You should be able to give your mentor plenty of time to look over it and recommend any changes s/he feels are necessary.
You do not need to get your recommendations from professors and TAs who teach biology classes. Core classes are totally acceptable. Do not be afraid to ask people to write you a letter; just make sure that you provide them with your CV and talk to them about why you are qualified for doing a SURF. If they do not feel they can write you an adequate letter, they will tell you.
You may want to start working in your lab 3rd term so that by the time your SURF officially starts, you will know your way around and have learned basic techniques. Plus if this is really something you are enthusiastic about, why not start as soon as you can? Talk it over with your mentor/co-mentor before registering for 3rd term.
Touch base with your mentor and co-mentor, letting them know of your progress
and asking them for help when you encounter difficulty. Check whether you are
accomplishing the goals you set out to accomplish, and make new goals as you
get more familiar with your project. Attend lab meetings and try to get experience
talking about your research by presenting your findings at a lab meeting; it
will prepare you for the final SURF talk.
Other fun things to do over summer include joining SURFSAC and planning activities,
going to SURFSAC planned activities (dinners with professors, ice cream socials,
movies), attending lunch seminars to learn more about research in other fields,
and going to career workshops.
You can submit your final
paper to the Caltech Undergraduate
Research Journal (CURJ).